Are We Now
by LCextrordinaire
Summary: "How about dinner at my place tonight?" Well, he did like the girl after all, so why not? [Sequel to "Prize Date".]
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: ****Finally! The sequel to _Prize Date_ (which can be found on my profile) is coming out! It's been almost a year, and I'm really excited for this. So thanks to all the people who encouraged me via comments and PMs to write this. And also thanks to ****Darth Maitimo for betaing this. She was super awesome about it. **

**Anyway. On with _Are We Now_!**

* * *

"Sir, Second Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye has placed a package on my desk for you. Would you like me to bring it in?"

"Yes, please. That would be wonderful."

He wondered idly why Riza didn't drop in and give it to him like she usually did. "Did I do something wrong last night?"

His assistant stepped in with a squishy bundle wrapped in butchers paper and some white twine. As Roy stood up and his assistant handed it to him, he noticed a small note that was tucked into the twine that held it all together.

The note was labeled Roy, and was written in Riza's soft handwriting. Roy grinned at that. He loved her handwriting. It flowed nicely and slanted slightly to the right, making it seem elegant.

Opening the letter, he started to read it.

_Roy, don't worry. You did nothing wrong, I'm just in a rush to get some papers to the Furher._

_I truly enjoyed our date last night. It was a pleasure to go out with you. I'd like to return the favor actually. How about dinner at my place tonight? I'll be heading home by four o'clock if you want to call me at home, or you could call me at my desk. I'll be there starting at noon. Please let me know if you can make it or not._

_Thanks,_

_Riza_

Roy stared at the note for a full minute before a grin spread slowly across his face. _"Perfect! I can't wait! I think I'll call at one to make sure I don't seem to desperate,"_ he thought as he started to open the package that was with the note.

He slid the white twine from the parcel, then unfolded the paper from around the object.

It was his jacket from last night.

Riza sure was prompt in returning it. He lifted it to his face and took a light sniff. It mostly smelled like him, but there was a slight scent of Riza lingering around it. Gunpowder and a special perfume that Riza had grown attached to while in Aerugo, the small country that they had a reliable trading partnership with. It was located to the south of Amestris. She had spent a few weeks there after the war ended to smooth everything over and explain it all to the Prince, Claudio. The perfume was now shipped to her from the diplomacy council of Aerugo as a favor and thank you for her visit and time.

The perfume, appropriately named _'Fiori Selvatici'_, smelt of wild flowers and a hint of countryside beauty. It really was Riza. She had grown up out in the countryside with her father, the first flame alchemist. He had taught him his own fire alchemy for which he was so famous in the military ranks for.

He took another light sniff, enjoying the gunpowder and perfume scent that was mixed with his own. He could get used to that.

He decided to stop, however, since he did think that he would seem a bit creepy if anyone were to know what he was doing.

**_xxx_**

Riza glanced at the small desk clock that sat on her desk. It read 13:47, the second hand slowly ticking around the face of the clock. She had a military time clock due to how often someone would use military time over non-military time. It certainly came in handy.

It was past noon by an hour and forty-seven minutes and twenty-one seconds. Twenty-two seconds. Twenty-three seconds.

Her desk phone rang as the second hand hit the twenty-fourth second hand mark. Her hand flew to answer the phone, picking it up and quickly placing it to the side of her head.

She took a breath as to not sound desperate. It was, after all, the third call she had gotten after noon. None had been Roy so far.

"Hello. Riza Hawkeye."

"Riza! It's Roy!"

Her face let a small smile slip as she heard his voice.

"Hello, General Mustang."

"Riza..."

She blushed a bit as she remembered his often repeated request of her calling him by his first name. "Sorry, Roy."

She heard him chuckle a bit on the other end. "So..." he said, drawing out the vowel quite a bit.

A silence fell between them.

"I can make it to dinner..."

"Great! Is there something you're up to eating tonight?"

"Well, I'm feeling up to some kick in flavor tonight, if that's not too much to ask."

"That's easily done." She thought of how his lips would feel against hers, the spice and kick from the food providing an exciting tingling sensation against her lips.

Shaking her head, she went back to focusing on conversation that they were having.

"What time should I be there?" There seemed to be an excited curiosity to his voice that made Riza wonder how eager he was for this dinner.

"Hm... Maybe at 6:00 so that we can talk a bit before? You know, while the food cooks?"

"Sounds good to me, Riza. It's a date."

"It's a date. Oh! And Roy, don't forget to do your paperwo-"

She heard a click over the phone as he hung up, hopefully going back to his paperwork.

Shaking her head, she turned back to her own work. She was filling out a sheet of orders that the military would need to restock the bullet supply for the target range's supply room. She'd never admit to using a third of the bullet supply herself over the last month.

**_xxx_**

Roy looked at the clock. 4:00. Riza would be heading home now. He probably should too. It would take at least 20 minutes to get home. He wanted a good shower to freshen up then and relax for a few minutes before he went. Maybe even to listen to the radio for a few minutes.

He stood up, grabbing his jacket that Riza had returned to him, along with a few papers that he was going to take home with him.

He walked out to his car that was parked almost directly in front of the building. He looked up, and noted offhandedly that it looked like it would rain.

Then getting in the car, he started the engine and headed home to get ready for Riza and the dinner date.

**_xxx_**

Riza stood in front of the fresh produce, examining the chicken. She already had some scallions in her bag, the rest of her ingredients being in supply at her home. Roy had requested a meal with heat, so she was making a spicy Szechuan stir fry. Simple, flavorful, and delicious.

She picked the chicken she wanted, pointed it out to the employee, paid for the poultry, and started home.

She'd go take a quick shower, and hop into some appropriate clothes. By then, Roy should be there and she could start cooking while they talked.

* * *

**A/N: Well, there is chapter one! Please let me know what you think!**

**Oh, and if you want a say in the next story I write, check out the poll on my main page where you can vote on which fandom you want my next fanfic to some from. It won't be up much longer. And keep in mind that you can choose three options from the fandoms listed!**

**Until next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Oh it was so hard to not post this chapter early and to stick to the schedule of a once a week update! I got an astonishing amount of love from you guys in the form of favorites, follows, reviews, and even a few PMs! Thank you so much!**

**And for those of you who took the poll on my main page, thanks so much! For those of you who didn't head on over after this chapter and let me know by voting which fandom of the listed you think my next story should be from. I'd really appreciate it! **

**Anyway. I'll let you read this chapter.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Roy looked at his speedometer. He wasn't sure why he did, he had just peeked at it a moment previous, and he never went over the speed limit. Well, not unless it was a military chase or it was needed in a war.

But it was neither, so he was unsure of why he kept looking so often.

Glancing down again, he this time looked at the clock. 4:21. He turned onto his street, then into his driveway. Just over 20 minutes. Traffic was good today. Hopefully it would be the same on the way to Riza's.

Turning off the ignition and extracting the key, Roy slipped out of the car. He shut the door behind him as he bounded up the front stairs.

**_xxx_**

Riza hopped in the shower. She was feeling quite dusty and lazy from sitting at a desk in the oldest part of the military headquarters all day long and just siting and listening to the diplomatic team drone on about how they may need her to travel to Drachma and smooth things over with the country to the north.

After the attack that Drachma launched on Fort Briggs quite a few months ago, and the retreat that followed due to the homunculi, Sloth, Amestris never did go to settle it all. Riza apparently did such a great job in Aerugo, that they wanted her in Drachma as well.

Why though, of all the people in Amestris, did they want her? She was, after all, still personally assigned to Roy. She should be helping him out, not the old nut cases that brought their country to war only a few months ago.

She shifted and sighed as the water ran over her body. The shower also helped with the stress of work. Idiots. So many idiots.

**_xxx_**

Roy stared helplessly at his closet. He had picked out a pair of pants already, a pair of comfortable jeans. He bought them only last week, so they still looked nice and new. He finally decided on a grey long sleeve V neck shirt that was loose, but still showed his body well.

Contrary to popular belief, he really did have some good muscle mass. He worked out almost every evening. He had skipped it last night, and was going to have to skip it again tonight, but since he was with Riza both nights, it was worth it.

He laid the two articles of clothing out on his bed along with a clean pair of underwear and socks. He'd probably just wear a pair of black sneakers for shoes.

Walking into the bathroom, he shed the clothes that he was still wearing along the way. White button up shirt, military pants, and underwear. He turned on the water to be warm, though most would consider that temperature to be hot, and stepped in.

Quickly soaping up and washing himself, he turned the water to cold and stuck his head in. It was a little known trick that helped to bring a bit of shine back to the hair once it had dried.

He turned off the water, and stepping out grabbed a towel to dry himself off. The soft cotton of the towel felt nice against his skin. Roy usually bought nice things since his pay of a general was pretty large, and there was only he and his cat, Blaze, to pay for on a daily base. There was the occasional guest or friend, but those didn't happen often, so he could easily afford to have nice towels.

Glancing at the clock that was sitting on his bedside, he noticed that it was now 5:01. He had fifty-nine minutes to be at Riza's for dinner. It would only take him fifteen minutes to get to her house, so he wasn't worried. It wouldn't take him a full forty-four minutes to get ready after all.

He put on his underwear then flipped the radio on so that he could listen as he got dressed. The radio buzzed for a moment before it picked up the frequency that it was set to.

"And tonight, around seven o'clock folks, it should be a pourin'! Make sure you either stay inside or have 'n umbrella! And speakin' of umbrellas, there's a sale-"

Walking to the window, Roy peeked out at the clouds that were threatening to spill over with rain before the forecasted time. Forecasters were always wrong though, so Roy wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if it started to rain before he even left his home.

_**xxx**_

"Ruff!"

"I know, boy. But nice. I'd much rather be in my pajamas of course, but it wouldn't be appropriate."

Riza's voice came from within a thin sweater that was wiggling due to her upper body maneuvering. She was putting it on, but her head hadn't yet emerged from the top. Her arms were wiggling around, hands peeking through the arm holes and managing to get the sweater on.

The sweater was a form-fitting black sleeveless turtle neck. It was Riza's favorite sweater, and looked great on her. Since it was thin however, as long as it was a little chilly out, she was good to go and hangout inside.

She pulled on a pair of cream ankle socks, then put a nice small pair of silver hoop earrings on.

Turning to look at the full length mirror that was against her wall, she couldn't help but be pleased with her reflection.

She had a bit of hair pulled back from either side of her face and held in the back by a band. Her sweater hugged her form, but was loose enough to be comfortable. Dark skinny jeans brought out her well defined legs of which she was quite proud. It did take some work to keep them like that.

The socks just made everything look so cozy. Perfect for tonight.

Black Hayate, as usual, was watching her get dressed. She picked up a treat for him that was on her dresser.

"Sit."

He sat.

"Shake."

He shook.

"Roll over."

He rolled over.

"Bang bang."

He rolled over, imitating death.

"Now, stay."

She placed the treat on his nose, causing his eyes to widen, follow her hand and then just stare hungrily at the treat. Riza could see his muscles tense, Black Hayate was eager to have the treat.

"Okay, eat it!"

"I've trained him well." She thought as he lept up and swept it into his mouth with the soft pink tongue. Going to pet her pup, she ignored the sounds of the first few raindrops hitting the windows of her room.

* * *

**A/N: I think Riza summed it up for most of us. We'd rather be in our pjs.  
**

**Please give this chapter some love just like you did for the previous chapter! I got so excited with each new alert!**

**Until next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: And now for chapter three! I got a bit of love for the last chapter, but not that much. Maybe this chapter will inspire more reviews. I certainly am hoping so!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Roy slipped his sneakers on, then peeked at the watch on his wrist. 5:43. By the time he got out to the car, it would be close enough to when he was leaving.

He pet Blaze once on the head, scratching right behind his ear before he picked up his keys and wallet and walked out the door to his car.

Getting in he started the engine by inserting the key and giving it a twist. He backed out of the drive, then pulled into the street before taking off towards Riza's, his car going the exact miles per hour that were on each speed limit sign he passed.

He didn't notice that he had gotten to Riza's until he had already begun to park, his thoughts having been so full of the excitement (or at least happiness) that was in store for the evening. He did, after all, enjoy spending time with that woman.

Parking the vehicle, he stepped out, then shut the door to his car. His hand pushed it closed with a nice forceful push, resulting in a nice satisfactory thump.

Bringing the hand that had his watch on the wrist, which coincidentally had just been the hand responsible for closing the door, he looked again at the time. 5:59. One minute to get to Riza's door.

He walked quickly to the front of her apartment complex, then took the stairs two at a time to get to the second floor. His eyes traveled to the left, taking in the apartment numbers.

Apartment 201, apartment 203... no... apartment 305... His eye skipped a few doors down. Apartment 211, and at last, apartment 213. Riza's apartment.

For some odd reason, after the entire Warehouse 13 incident, which had scared his men half to death, almost all of the apartments, homes, and in general any address that was in this area of central that was associated with the number 13 was quickly vacated. Too many people apparently believed in superstitions and such, but this did allow Riza to land a deal on this apartment due to the lowered cost rate. Riza loved the apartment, and couldn't be more pleased, so it had worked out for the best apparently.

He looked back down at his watch. 6:00. Time to knock. Time to be punctual as always. It was his custom to be punctual anywhere but the office. He wouldn't break that tradition now.

He raised his hand, letting the knuckles rap firmly on the door three times in quick succession.

_**xxx**_

_Knock, knock, knock._

Black Hayate's head popped up from its previous position of resting on his paws. His tongue lolled out, his head cocked towards the door.

Riza grinned at her dog, then stood up from the couch she was reclined upon, heading to answer the door.

She had previously been reading a book that she found to be quite fascinating. It was by a young woman in central and was a current craze among many of the population. Riza was far from being excluded in this group.

It was about the unfairness of war. The book was published just a month after the war, and everyone had been glad for this book which frowned upon the harshness that many had suffered a few weeks previous to its publishing.

Her hand touched the doorknob. Then turning it, she opened the door.

Roy was standing on the other side of the threshold. He looked casual, but still classy, in his grey sweater.

"Roy, just as punctual as last night."

Roy grinned sheepishly at Riza. "Well I do kinda like to be on time."

"For everywhere but work, I see."

Roy flushed, then admitted. "Yeah, basically."

Looking at the man before her, Riza was a bit unsure of what to do next. Ask him in? Kiss him? Or should she just leave it at a good solid hug?

**_xxx_**

Roy's heart sped up as his nervousness increased. How did he greet her? He definitely wouldn't mind a kiss, any sort would do. A hug would be nice too, though. But maybe they were at a handshake level still?

_"No. We can't still be there. I kissed her last night. I made out with her. I mean, that's definitely past handshake level. So maybe a hug? I think I'll try that. That sounds safe..."_

Pulling his guts together, Roy leaned in and extended his arms a bit to prepare for a hug.

Riza leaned in to meet Roy halfway. His arms wrapped around her smaller form, pulling her in a touch more. She stepped up, her weight now resting on the tips of her toes. Her body was relaxed against his own.

_"Okay, I'm safe so far. I'll give her a light kiss on the cheek, but no more. I'm not going to push it,"_ Roy thought nervously.

He bent his head a bit and turned it to face her cheek. His lips drew close to her before resting on the soft skin of her cheek. Roy felt her stiffen a moment before relaxing again.

He pulled back after letting his lips brush her cheek for a moment, then stepped back and broke the hug.

**_xxx_**

Riza's heart thumped in her chest as she returned the man's hug, then faster as she felt his lips brush her cheek for moment.

_"I could get used to this..."_

She felt him pull back, breaking the hug._"Well, that wasn't too bad. Thank goodness Roy knows what he's doing. I'll just go along with him if he suggests something for now since I'm completely clueless. I still have to entertain him though... I did invited him." _

Riza smiled at Roy, her nerves now more calm than they were a moment before, then stepped aside to allow for more room in the doorway. "Would you like to come in?"

**_xxx_**

Roy smiled gently back at Riza, then nodded. "Yes, I'd love to come in."

He stepped in, then slipped his shoes off by toeing the back of his right shoe, then his left. He knew that Riza preferred to have her guests go barefoot and keep dirt off of the floor thanks to Al who had heard it from Winry when the female automail mechanic had stayed with Riza. Pushing them to the wall by the door, he then turned to look at Riza who had just shut the door behind him.

She looked relaxed, and not as uptight as he felt. _"Well, it is her house. She should look and feel more at home in her own home, after all."_

"So..."

"I was about to prep and cook dinner. Would you care to come in and help me?"

Roy grinned. "I'd love to, Riza."

**_xxx_**

_"Okay, good. Now you have something to do and talk about. You're doing well__, Riza. You can do this,"_ Riza thought as she walked towards the kitchen and the food.

* * *

**A/N: Before I head off, I want to say thanks to Darth Maitimo for betaing this chapter, along with all the others. She was super awesome in doing all of that.**

**And please remember that I have a poll for what fandom my next fanfic should come from! You can find it on my main page.**

**Until next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'm really happy that you guys reviewed, favorited, followed, and just generally loved on the previous chapter. Because of that, _Prize Date_ (the prequel to this story) story now has only 28 more reviews and 31 more favorites! And _Are We Now_ has exactly half the number of follows than _Prize Date_ has! Lets see if we can make this sequel ****surpass the prequel, shall we? **

**Well, here's the chapter!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Riza took out the needed ingredients and started to prepare the food by chopping, slicing, and dicing each ingredient that was called for by the recipe.

"Roy, could you go ahead and turn on the stove for me?"

"Sure."

Roy stepped over to the oven, and after pressing a few buttons and spinning a dial, the task was completed. The oven started to preheat.

"Riza? I'm finished. What would you like me to do now?"

"Well, could you help me cut these?"

"Of course."

**_xxx_**

Riza tossed the food into the wok, letting simmer and cook. It looked and smelled delicious. Hopefully it would live up to her hopes for tonight.

_"Will he like it? I hope so. I don't want him to eat food that he hates..."_

"Riza! This smells amazing!"

Thankfully Riza's back was turned to Roy since she knew that her face turned a bit pink and that her eyes had widened considerably.

"Ah- Thanks, Roy."

**_xxx_**

Roy watched the blond as he leaned against her counter and she continued to prepare their meal. Her movements were calming ones that he strongly wished that he could come home to after working all day at headquarters.

As her arms continued to stir the food in the wok, a few small strands of hair slipped out of the loose ponytail that lay against her neck. His fingers tingled, dying to assist her by helping to move the hair back to its original position.

"Roy, could you set the table?"

Thankfully he had caught these words, not letting them slip by him and make him look like a fool for not hearing words that were spoken so closely to him.

"Of course, Riza."

He pushed himself up from against the counter and took a step forward before stopping after the initial movement. His face reflected his confused mind.

_"I don't know where anything is…"_

"Uh… Riza…"

She hummed, acknowledging him but not speaking.

"Where are your dishes? And everything else that I'll be setting the table with?"

Riza smiled, though Roy couldn't tell. "Plates are in the cabinet next to where you were a moment ago, glasses are one door to the right, and silverware is directly below the glasses."

"Okay. Thank you."

He retrieved two plates and put them down. Then he picked up two cups and placed them above the plates. Following that came a fork for each and knife for each.

"Do you have any cloth napkins?"

"One door over from the fridge."

He retrieved those, then set about to use a very special skill that he had learned from Madame Christmas. She owned a bar and taught him how to fold napkins and such into beautiful creatures and shapes to entertain guests. He never used it for that however, and only ever seemed to use it when he had needed to pass the time and had had no other form of amusement.

He started to fold them, left side into the center, then folded in half. Fold this part down, then turn it over to fold the other side. Continuing this process, he completed one cloth napkin setting and soon made another to match. He placed them gently on the plates to make the entire setting appear nicer for her.

"Okay, I'm finished," he said to her, stepping back to view his work.

"Alright. Well, about five more minutes and then we can eat." She didn't turn around, instead choosing to keep an eye on the food that she was preparing.

"Would you like me to fill your glass?"

"Uh, sure. Water is good for me."

"Would you like any ice?"

"Sorry, my ice maker is broken. It's getting fixed in a few days."

Roy smirked. "Okay. So... Want any ice?"

Riza stopped what she was doing and turned her head to him. Her face wore an amused expression, a touch of confusion written in her eyes. "Roy, I just said that my ice maker is broken. The repair man won't be here for another couple of days."

"Riza. Just answer me." Roy's smirk grew bigger, his eyes showing that he was clearly enjoying this. "Would you like some ice?"

Riza sighed and shrugged as she turned back the food. "Sure. Why not?"

"Okay." Roy did a small fist pump by his side. It was very small, and he made sure that there was no way that Riza could have seen such a childish gesture come from him.

Roy walked over to the small pad of paper that she had sitting next to her phone. He took off four sheets and lay them down to make a larger square, then picked up the pencil and drew a nice array.

It wasn't the usual array that was on his glove. The one on his glove was for fire alchemy, and that would have done the opposite of what his intended purpose was. The array he drew was a water array for freezing things. It was actually very similar to the array that the Freezer, Isaac McDougal, used to use before he was killed by the previous fuhrer, King Bradley.

Grabbing another glass, he filled it with water and placed it in the middle of the circle. Placing his fingers against the edge of the transmutation circle that he had drawn, he started to fuel it and cause the reaction to start.

After a moment of the cold blue lights flashing around like miniature bolts of lightning the reaction was over. In the glass was still there, but now in place of the water were dozens of ice cubes.

Riza, who had heard the reaction and turned to watch, started to chuckle and laugh lightly.

**_xxx_**

"What?" The man standing across from her was lost at her amusement.

"You've just been doing flame alchemy for so long that it slipped my mind that you could use alchemy on other things. You don't do it very often."

"Oh. Well, I just can't use my gloves for anything else. I use alchemy all the time at my house. I'm constantly fixing things that I break and such."

Laughing once more, she turned back to the food and started to dish it into a serving bowl. "Well thank you, Roy. I appreciate the ice and the effort."

Roy cocked his head like Black Hayate sometimes would and replied to her. "No problem, Riza."

Riza was glad that she was turned away for a moment to allow the smile that was caused by her fluttering heart to not be seen by Roy.

_"Why am I so happy? He made ice. It's not anything big. It's just some simple alchemy to him."_

Riza broke her internal thoughts and spoke out loud. "Okay, the food is ready, Roy."

"Alright."

Riza dished the food into a large serving dish. It was a warm, earthy tone, obviously some sort of handmade pottery.

Roy took the dish of food from Riza and placed it on the table as she turned the stove off. As Riza went to sit, Roy went around to pull out her chair, sliding it back. Then he pushed her chair forward a bit, clearly attempting to be as gentlemanly as he possibly could as well as make a best impression for the evening.

* * *

**A/N: Well, what did you think? The chemistry is real, huh? Such cuties... **

**Over on my DeviantART page (link in my profile) I posted a picture of Rin Matsuoka from _Free!_. If any of you have a dA, mind heading over to check it out? ****And also don't forget about the poll on my profile. It will be up until this story is complete! **

**Until next chapter!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I'm sitting in my astronomy class as I publish this chapter... **

**Shhh... no one tell... **

* * *

Roy pushed back his chair a few inches, causing a harsh scraping sound to reach the diners ears. Roy grimaced at the sound, hating the noise.

"So, I assume the meal was satisfactory?" Riza asked him, breaking the extended silence that had so far stretched over the majority of their meal. It was only broken by the clink of dishes and silverware, and the occasional request for seasoning they desired that lay closer to the other.

Relived at the question and that she was initiating a topic of conversation, Roy leaned forward and replied over eagerly. "Yes! I loved it! It was perfect!" Then, as if realizing that his attitude may seem a bit overboard when concerning food, he ashamedly leaned back in his chair.

Riza however just chuckled. "I'm glad that you liked it. Would you like to take any home with you?"

Roy mulled it over for a quick moment, and then began to speak. "No, I-"

"I'm not going to finish all this by myself. So either you take some, or half will go to Black Hayate."

Roy laughed, knowing full well that her well-disciplined canine wasn't allowed to consume human food, and would most likely never do so for fear of a bullet.

"In that case, Riza, I'll be more than happy to take some home."

"Alright. I'll put some in a container for you before you leave."

Again the conversation died, this time into a more uncomfortable silence than when they were eating, if that were possible.

**_xxx_**

Riza watched Roy jump a few minutes later when her dog barked at them. He had, until a few moments ago, been sleeping in her living room on his small dog bed. He however, like Riza, seemed to have a clock ingrained into his very core. It was now 8:15, time for his walk.

"I have to take Black Hayate for a walk. Do you want to come, or do you want to stay here?" Riza stood up as the words left her mouth, running her hands down her legs as if to get the muscles moving again.

Roy sighed after thinking over for a moment. "I'll stay here and wash up."

"Are you sure? I can do it aft-"

"Riza, go on. I'm positive."

"Well alright…"

Riza, while seeming hesitant to leave Roy alone to do all the clean up, went to get Black Hayate's leash. Coming back, she bent down to clip the leash to his collar, then stood up and faced Roy awkwardly.

"I'll be right back."

"Alright," he said, turning towards the kitchen. He waved his hand at her, shooing her away so that he could get to the clean up.

Riza walked out the door, her dog walking by her side with a little impatience in his step. He pranced around, clearly needing to go.

The door closed, leaving Roy alone in her home.

**_xxx_**

Roy dunked a dish into the sudsy water that sloshed around in the skin. He grabbed the sponge that was laying right on the edge and ran it over the surface of the place, scrubbing the food that stuck to it away. He rinsed it quickly in the clean water that was just to his left before sliding it to dry on the rack that was just beyond that.

Repeating steps with the rest of the dishes, utensils, and other culinary objects, he quickly finished the job.

He wiped down the countertops and the surface of the table, and then put the last few items that were lying around away. That was by far the hardest thing he had done while cleaning up. Finding where things went was a difficult job. Thankfully, nothing was too hidden away.

Just as he leaned back against the counter to relax for a few moments, the door that Riza had just left through a few minutes ago opened, this time to allow her and her dog into the home.

_**xxx**_

Riza opened the door of her home. "Hey! I'm ba-" She stopped in astonishment, surprised at how much he had gotten done without her breathing down his neck.

"Hey." He was leaning against the counter in a peaceful sort of way. His hands were still slightly damp, the remaining water catching Riza's glance as light hit it at just the right angle.

"Do you only procrastinate for paperwork?"

His face colored slightly, his cheeks turning ever so slightly pink as he turned his face to the side in minor embarrassment. "Yeah."

She chuckled as she bent down to unclip the leash and let her dog loose. "Alright. Wanna go into the living room and sit down?"

"Sure." He took a step or so forward, crossing the room to stand in front of her. "M'lady," he said softly, offering his hand to her with a slight dip forward at his waist.

"Sir." She took it and allowed him to lead her to her living room, guide her to a seat on the couch, then lift her hand and bring it to his lips and kissing her knuckles ever so lightly.

Letting go of her hand, he sat next to her on the couch.

_"Is this why he is known as a womanizer? I really do get it now…"_

**_xxx_**

Roy watched Riza shift awkwardly in front of him. She seemed unsure of what to do. Clearly she was nervous. Apparently as nervous as he was.

Her hands were in her lap, one rubbing the other slowly. Her back was slightly stiff, and her eyes were blinking a little bit more often than they normally did. She was looking around the room, not meeting Roy's eyes, much less even looking in his direction.

_"Nervous and flustered…"_ he thought as he looked to a table that a book was sitting on.

The book was one that he had seen floating around the office many times in the last month or so. He had also seen it displayed in store windows, in the hands of Central citizens as they strolled down the street, and even in the hands his mother, Madame Christmas. It seemed to be quite popular.

"So, Inequitable Warfare," he spoke, breaking the heavy silence that had fallen. "Is this a good book?" He reached out his hand and lifted the volume from the table.

Riza looked at the book, the allowed her gaze to follow up his arm and to his face. She smiled. "Yeah, it's a really good book."

"What's it about?"

She sighed, a small amount of sorrow and heaviness showing on her face. "It's a fictional story about how unfair, cruel, and bloody war is. It came out really recently, about a month and a half ago, and for obvious reasons it became really popular.

Roy was quiet. It made sense that such a novel became so popular. While many people didn't experience much of the final battle with the homunculi, it affected everyone. Their own president was amongst the enemy, so naturally rumors flew. It seemed as if everyone also knew in some way a soldier that had either died or been seriously wounded somewhere in the midst of that battle. A few even had homes ruined or businesses demolished, be it their own, or somewhere they frequented.

"It wasn't an easy thing to go though, that's for sure," he said, referencing the entire ordeal that had stretched over the time leading up to the battle and the fight itself. He blinked quickly a few times.

"You know, Roy, you really were an encouragement for me during the entire experience. You were so strong." She looked down at her lap. "You helped lead everyone into the battle, you went blind, yet you still fought _and_ managed to lead. I really admire you, Roy." The last sentence was spoken barely above a whisper.

"You were the one who kept me going. Against Envy you were the one I fought to protect. During the final battle you assisted me without fault. Throughout the entire thing, I knew I could count on you like I could depend on no one else."

Riza glanced at Roy. "You know that you can always count on me, Roy. I said that I'll follow your lead until the top and that I would help you achieve what you want for this county. I've decided that even after that, I'll follow you." She bit her lip.

Roy felt his heart rate increase as Riza spoke. He moved closer to her and took one of her smaller hands in his larger ones. "Thank you. I promise that I will be the best leader that I can be so that you can follow me without ever regretting anything."

_**xxx**_

Riza looked at him solemnly, then chuckled. "I feel like we're making marriage vows at the alter or something."

Roy's face flushed. "Well you're the only person I'd ever want to take the vows with…" he muttered quietly under his breath. He thought that he had said it quietly enough that Riza wouldn't be able to hear him.

Her hand tightened between his own. "Really?"

His eyes widened in shock and worry. "You heard that?"

She nodded at him.

He might as well say it. No going back now. He wouldn't want to anyway. "Yes. You're the only person I'd ever want to marry and say my own vows to."

* * *

**A/N: So? What did you think? Only one more chapter and this tale will be complete! **

**Remember to vote in the poll on my main page! It will only be there for one more week! And please leave me a review! It makes me so happy each time I get an email notification for it! **

**Until next chapter! **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: And here's the last chapter! I'm super happy that I finished my first sequel... Can you give it some love?**

* * *

_"Is he saying…?"_ Riza started at the man next to her. "Are you saying that you like me?" She felt like a foolish grade student when she said it out loud.

"No."

She felt her heart plummet to her toes. _"What are we now then...?"_

"I'm saying that I love you."

Her heart soared back up and brown eyes stared at him, meeting his hopeful gaze.

_**xxx**_

Roy took a deep breath as he looked at her. _"It's out now. I'm going to ask her. I don't want to go to bed tonight feeling like a fool for not asking her."_ He turned towards her, bringing his leg up so that it was on the couch with his foot still hanging off, his other leg lying next to the couch with his foot on the floor to support the rest of his weight.

"Riza, I'm not going to propose to you, yet, but I would like to do that someday. Before that, though, I would like to get to know you on a more personal level. I've gotten to see so much of you while I was learning from your father and while you were my subordinate, and I've loved every bit. The determination, the loyalty, the strength, your beliefs, but also the caring nature and compassion that you have for others. I want to see more of you and fall more in love with you.

"I wasn't able to ask this when you were under my command, but now that you're under a different command, would you please allow me to date you and get to know you on a deeper level?"

He watched her carefully with his dark eyes, hoping and praying to whatever god that was out there and would listen to him, an alchemist, one who believed in no holy being, that she would say yes.

She nodded slowly, a smile spreading across her face as she used her free hand to cover her mouth. Nodding a bit faster as she moved her hand back down to cover only her chin, she spoke the word that Roy was dying to hear.

"Yes!"

_**xxx**_

Her smile was apparently contagious. It spread over to Roy's being, a grin making its way to his lips. His eyes were alight with happiness. His face lit up in joy; his smile making it appear as though he were the luckiest of men.

"Yes!" Riza repeated her response happily. Her hands moved from her face to her lap, where she clasped them tightly together.

Roy moved a hand to hold the side of the blonde's face, his thumb stroking a small patch of skin as he smiled at her. His smile hadn't dimmed, only become more soft and gentle towards her versus the previous one that was filled with only happiness at her permission and acceptance. Moving his hand away, he pulled her in for a warm hug.

Riza smiled lightly into his shoulder. _"This can't be true… This can't be real…" _

She pinched the top of her hand firmly so that the abused skin hurt for a moment and then turned a rosy shade of pink.

_"Yeah, it's real."_

* * *

**A/N: The end! **

**The poll that I've had up is closed now. The winner of the poll was _Avatar: TLA or Lok_ (It had 25% of the votes). So for any Avatar fans, look out! I may be posting a story for the fandom quite soon! **

**Oh, and speaking of Avatar (more specifically The Legend of Korra), I started a new Tumblr for pro-bending where you can submit a character and possibly have them compete in the pro-bending tournaments. The first match will actually be coming out tomorrow at 7:00pm. I'll have a link to the Tumblr account on my main page amongst all of my other links, but listed under "Fandom Media", not "Personal Media". The name of the link will be "Pro-bending National Games". :)**

**Until next story! **


End file.
